Different types of moveable barrier operators have been sold over the years and these systems have been used to actuate various types of moveable barriers. For example, garage door operators have been used to move garage doors and gate operators have been used to open and close gates.
Such barrier movement operators may include a wall control unit, which is connected to send signals to a head unit thereby causing the head unit to open and close the barrier. In addition, these operators often include a receiver unit at the head unit to receive wireless transmissions from a hand-held code transmitter or from a keypad transmitter, which may be affixed to the outside of the area closed by the barrier or other structure.
Movable barrier operator systems often include external safety sensors. These safety sensors are used to detect obstructions in the path of travel of the barrier. Thus, injury to users and damage to vehicles can be avoided by the use of safety sensors. Previous systems are programmed to react differently when the safety sensors are not attached. In some of these systems, the sensors must be detected by the operator before travel of the barrier is allowed.
Both wired and wireless sensors have been used in previous barrier systems. Wired systems include a hard-wire link between the sensor and the operator while wireless sensors transmit a signal over the air that is received by the operator. Many systems initially include a wired sensor, but not a wireless sensor. If a user desires to add a wireless sensor to the system at a later time, the system must be manually reconfigured to allow for the use of the wireless sensor. This is often done by physically adding or removing a wired connection or jumper at the operator. However, the manual reconfiguration is inconvenient for a user to perform and sometimes requires detailed knowledge of the operator and the configuration steps that a causal user may not possess. In addition, even when users do possess the knowledge, mistakes can be made resulting in damage to the system and additional costs.